Austin city council approves $100,000 to support out-of-state care amid abortion ban
Austin city council approved $100,000 in funding Thursday, to go to local reproductive health organizations helping women travel out-of-state for care under Texas' restrictive abortion ban.
The nonprofit Fund Texas Choice says in one year, they helped more than 1,000 Texas women travel out-of-state for abortion care. During that time, they collectively traveled more than 1.2 million miles to get that care.
The task of helping these women is getting more expensive and some fear it will become more difficult following the results of this week's election. Now, with first-of-its-kind support from the city of Austin, groups like Fund Texas Choice and Jane's Due Process want to assure women that help isn't going anywhere.
"You are not alone in seeking abortion care," Executive Director of Jane's Due Process, Lucie Arvallo, said. "You are not alone in your fear, you are not alone in your rage."
Jane's Due Process provides birth control, STI testing, abortion resources, and other reproductive health services to teens in Central Texas.
"We know that teens are often used as a litmus test by anti-abortion activists to determine what bans they are able to push everywhere for everybody," Arvallo said.
Jane's Due Process and its partner Fund Texas Choice will be receiving the city of Austin's first $100,000 to support women traveling out-of-state for abortions, split between the organizations by 30 percent and 70 percent respectively.
"None of this funding is going to the abortion procedure or medication itself," Arvallo said. "The scope of this contract is limited to practical support that looks like travel, lodging, meals, emotional support for before and after the procedure..."
Austin City Council approved the measure Thursday after it was first put forward by District 2 City Council member Vanessa Fuentes back in August during budget talks.
"We've had women in Texas die as a result of having a miscarriage and not being able to receive adequate care from providers, doctors turning them away because of the abortion ban that we're under," Fuentes said.
A former city council member and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton are both suing over the funding, but Fuentes says the city is well within its legal rights to provide the money since again it's only going towards specific travel costs. That legal battle is still ongoing.
"This is important for us to talk about abortion here as a fundamental human right," Fuentes said. "It's a right that this city council has affirmed, and even though we're in Texas under one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, we at the local level will continue to fight back for the reproductive rights of our community."
Fuentes says the fight is more important than ever, with the future of abortion access in Texas now uncertain with conservative victories up and down the ticket.
"It's really unfortunate that women's health has been politicized," Fuentes said. "I firmly believe that government should not be stepping in and convening and when it comes to our own health care decisions, these are private conversations between women and our doctors."
In Texas, abortion is almost completely banned, with a limited medical exception and no exemptions for rape or incest. But Arvallo says that local support is what's going to help ensure women continue getting the care they need in this state.
"It's so important that we have the support from the local government, that we have this ray of hope in such a bleak week," Arvallo said. "And again, just send that message that individuals in Texas have a strong network behind them to support them in this uncertain time."
Jane's Due Process has a confidential hotline you can text or call at 1-866-999-5263 to not just ask about out-of-state care but to get information on a wide range of topics including birth control, STI testing, and Title X clinic locations.
